Clip for securing sleepers to beams



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. J. H. PRESTON. CLIP FOR SECURING SLEEPERQ- T0 BEAMS.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1897."

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT I FFICE.

JOHN H. PRESTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE J AOKSON ARCHITECTURAL IRON WORKS, OF NEW YORK.

CLIP FOR SECURING SLEEPERS TO BEAMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,555, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed June 19, 1896. Serial No. 596,124. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PRESTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clips for Securing Sleepers to Beams, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clips for securing sleepers to beams. Its object is to provide a simpler and more effective clip for that purpose and one more easily and cheaply manufactured and it consists in the devices hereinafter more particularly described, and claimed in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure '1 represents an elevation of my improved clip, showing it attached to a sleeper and embracing one edge of the top of the beam, the beam being partly shown in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, and Fig. 3 an end elevation, of my improved clip. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification. Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the same in operative'position, the sleeper and beam being shown in dotted or broken lines; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the said modification.

A is a wooden sleeper resting upon the beam B, which is here represented as an iron beam.

In the preferred form of my improved device (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) the clip consists of a body or plate 0, prongs c c c a integral with the plate 0, and a recess 0, adapted to fit over and embrace one edge of the top of the beam B, as shown in Fig. 1. For simplicity and for ease of manufacture the prongs c c are preferably struck up from the plate 0, although they may be made in any suitable way as long as they are rigidly secured to the plate 0'. The prongs have also, preferably, a flare or outward bend away from the center of the plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This flare tends to give a wedging effect to their grip upon the sleeper when they are driven into it, and this tendency strengthens the hold of the clip upon the sleeper. My improved clip is secured in position by slipping the recess 0' over the edge of the top of the beam B, as shown in Fig. 1, and by then driving the prongs into the sleeper. The

clip thus fastened prevents lateral motion of the sleeper toward the left, as shown in Fig. 1. A similar clip is placed upon the opposite side of the sleeper A, the recess taking into the other edge of the top of the beam B or of the next beam, thus preventing lateral motion of the sleeper to the right. As many clips may be used upon any sleeper as is desired, the effect of the clips being to securely hold the sleeper and the beams in connection with each other and to prevent lateral motion of the sleeper in either direction.

In practice I prefer to make the two lower prongs c 0 longer than the upper prongs 0 0 When this is done, the clip is placed against the sleeper, the edge of the beam B taking into the recess 0 and the prongs c c touching the surface of the wooden sleeper A. WVith a light blow of the hammer these two prongs c c are driven in a short distance, but not enough to cause the upper prongs c c to touch the sleeper. Then a blow with a hammer is given upon the lower right-hand portion of the plate 0 at about the point marked 0 in Fig. 1. This tends to throw the lower surface of the recess at the point marked 00 against the under surface of the top of the beam, and when the prongs are driven in the clip securely grips the under surface of the top of the beam along the surface w, thus assisting the clip in holding the sleeper firmly and securely to the beam.

A modification of my improved clip is shown in Figsi, 5, and 6. In this form D is the plate; (:1 d the prongs; B, the beam, and A the sleeper. d" is the recess, and in this form it is made of a shape resembling the contour of the cross-section of the top of the beam B, but larger than the latter. d d are the arms of the plate D, which assist in forming the recess 01. Space enough is left between the arms (1 d and the recess d is made tall enough to enable the clipD to be slipped over the head of the beam B and into the position shown in Fig. 5, where the beam B and the sleeper A are shownwith dotted or broken lines. In this form of myimproved device I find that two prongs are sufficient to hold the clip firmly to the sleeper. On account of the shape and size of the recess 01 and the arrangement of the arms 61 d the clip, when in position, as shown in Fig. 5, se-

curely embraces the top of the beam on both sides and prevents lateral motion of the sleeper in either direction. I prefer in practice to flare the prongs (1 as shown in Fig. 6.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A clip for securing sleepers to beams consisting of a plate having a recess, adapted to embrace a part of the beam, and prongs flaring outward from and integral with the plate to secure the plate to the sleeper, substantially as set forth.

2. A clip forsecuring sleepers to beams con- 

